Comprehensive Study Notes: A Letter to God and Selected Poems by Robert Frost

Location of the House: The house was the only one in the entire valley, situated on the crest (top) of a low hill.
The View: From this elevation, one could see the river and the field of ripe corn. The corn was dotted with flowers, which served as a promise of a good harvest.
Initial Conditions: The earth required moisture in the form of a downpour or at least a light shower.
Lencho's Expertise: Lencho was a farmer who knew his fields intimately. Throughout the morning, he had been observing the sky toward the north-east.

Prediction: Lencho predicted to his wife (who was preparing supper) that they were finally going to get some water.
Family Activity: The older boys were working in the field, while the smaller ones were playing near the house until they were called for dinner.
The Rain Begins: During the meal, big drops of rain began to fall, just as Lencho had predicted. Huge mountains of clouds were visible approaching from the north-east. The air felt fresh and sweet.
The Metaphor of Coins: Lencho went out to feel the rain on his body. He exclaimed that the raindrops were not just water but "new coins." He categorized them as:
- Big drops: $10\,\text{cent pieces}$
- Little drops: $5\,\text{cent pieces}$

Sudden Change: A strong wind began to blow, and along with the rain, very large hailstones began to fall. These were described as resembling "new silver coins."
The "Frozen Pearls": The boys ran out into the rain to collect the hailstones, which the text refers to as "frozen pearls."
Duration and Extent: The hail lasted for one hour. It rained on the house, the garden, the hillside, the cornfield, and the entire valley.
Impact on the Land: The field appeared white, as if covered with salt.
- The corn was totally destroyed.
- The flowers were gone from the plants.
- Not a single leaf remained on the trees.

Distress: Lencho's soul was filled with sadness. When the storm ended, he stood in the middle of his field.
Comparison to Pests: He told his sons that a "plague of locusts" (insects flying in big swarms that destroy crops) would have left more than the hail did.
Consequences: Lencho lamented that they would have no corn that year and that all their hard work had resulted in nothing. He feared the family would go hungry.

Single Hope: Despite the total loss, the inhabitants of the solitary house held onto hope in help from God.
Conscience and Omniscience: Lencho believed that God's eyes see everything, even what is deep in one's conscience (an inner sense of right and wrong).
Lencho’s Character: Described as an "ox of a man," he worked like an animal in the fields but possessed the literacy to write.
The Letter to God: At daybreak on the following Sunday, he wrote a letter to be carried to town.
- Content: He explained that without help, his family would starve.
- The Request: He asked for $100\,\text{pesos}$ to sow his field again and to live until the next crop.
- Addressing: He wrote "To God" on the envelope.

Discovery: A postman found the letter and showed it to his boss, the postmaster. The postman laughed because he had never seen such an address in his career.
The Postmaster's Character: He is described as a fat, amiable (friendly and pleasant) fellow.
The Decision: Though he initially laughed, the postmaster became serious. He marveled at Lencho's faith and decided to answer the letter so as not to shake the writer's belief.
Act of Charity: To fulfill the request for $100\,\text{pesos}$ , the postmaster:
- Gave part of his own salary.
- Asked his employees for contributions.
- Asked friends to give for an "act of charity."
The Collection: He was unable to gather the full $100\,\text{pesos}$ and could only collect a little more than half, specifically $70\,\text{pesos}$ .
The Reply: He put the money in an envelope addressed to Lencho with a letter signed with a single word: "God."

The Delivery: The following Sunday, Lencho arrived early. The postman handed him the letter while the postmaster watched from his office, feeling the contentment of having performed a good deed.
Lencho’s Anger: Lencho showed no surprise at seeing the money, but he became angry upon counting it. He believed God could not make a mistake or deny his request.
The Second Correspondence: Lencho immediately asked for paper and ink at the public writing-table. He wrote with a wrinkled brow, indicating the effort to express his ideas.
Final Act: He bought a stamp, licked it, and affixed it with a blow of his fist.
The Content of the Second Letter: The postmaster opened the letter immediately after it was mailed. It stated:
- Only $70\,\text{pesos}$ reached him.
- He requested the remaining $30\,\text{pesos}$ .
- He explicitly asked God not to send it through the mail.
- Reasoning: He claimed the post office employees were a "bunch of crooks."

Author: Robert Frost.
Key Elements:
- The Crow: Traditionally a symbol of ill omen or gloom.
- The Hemlock Tree: A poisonous tree with small white flowers.
- The Dust of Snow: Small particles of snow shaken from the tree.
The Action: A crow shakes the dust of snow down onto the poet from a hemlock tree.

Change of Mood: This simple natural event gave the poet's heart a change of mood.
Redemption of the Day: It saved "some part" of a day that the poet had "rued" (held in regret).
Frost's Philosophy: The poem illustrates that a "little thing touches a larger thing." It challenges the standard poetic use of "beautiful" nature (like maples or pines) by using negative symbols (crow, hemlock) to create a positive emotional shift.

Author: Robert Frost.
Fire: Represents desire, greed, avarice, lust, and fury.
Ice: Represents hate, cruelty, intolerance, rigidity, insensitivity, coldness, and indifference.

Debate: The poet acknowledges two schools of thought on how the world will end: in fire or in ice.
Poet’s Preference: Based on his experience with "desire," he initially sides with those who favor fire.
The Power of Ice: However, he notes that if the world had to perish (die) twice, "ice" is also a "great" and "sufficient" force for destruction due to his knowledge of human hate.
Sufficiency: The poet concludes that ice would "suffice" (be sufficient) to end the world.

Counter: The flat surface where transactions happen.
Counter Clerk: The official standing behind the counter.
Appropriate: Suitable or right for a particular situation.
Acknowledgement: A receipt or confirmation that something has been received.
Counterfoil: The part of a check or money order kept by the sender as a record.
Record: A permanent proof of a transaction.

Lencho's Hope: God's help to save his family from hunger.
Raindrops as Coins: They represented the prosperity and wealth the harvest would bring.
Change in Weather: Rain turned into hail, destroying all crops.
Postmaster’s Motivation: To preserve a man’s extraordinary faith in the divine.
Irony in the Story: The post office employees, who were actually the benefactors, were labeled as "crooks" by the man they helped.